Dial lock

Abstract

To provide a dial lock that is switchable between a freely settable dial function and a fixed dial function and has a simpler configuration than conventional dial locks.SOLUTION: A dial lock that is switchable among a locked state, an unlocked state, a freely settable dial state in which the unlocking code, that is a combination of dial codes that results in the unlocked state, can be freely set, and a fixed dial state in which a combination of unlocking codes is fixed, includes an operating unit that rotates a latch, a switching unit that is linked to a shaft and the operating unit to switch between the freely settable dial state and the fixed dial state, a swing plate unit that swings in the depth direction of the dial lock and engages with the dial unit, and an arm unit that receives a locking operation to set the dial lock in the locked state and an unlocking operation to set the dial lock in the unlocked state, that is linked to a columnar drive shaft portion having an axis extending in the depth direction of the dial lock, and that contacts the side of the drive shaft portion to control the rotation of the drive shaft portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a combination lock. [Background technology]

[0002] One type of lock used to lock storage cabinets such as lockers or doors is a dial lock (hereinafter referred to as a dial lock) that unlocks when a predetermined combination of dial numbers is reached. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a dial lock that can be switched by a switching means between a freely settable dial function that allows the combination of dial numbers to be freely set for unlocking, and a fixed dial function that has a fixed combination of dial numbers for unlocking. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3358082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to a multi-function dial lock with a freely settable dial function and a fixed dial function, as described in Patent Document 1, the freely settable dial function and the fixed dial function can be switched between using a switching device depending on the purpose and use. However, compared to a single-function dial lock, a multi-function dial lock has more components and a more complex configuration. As a result, there are concerns that the dial lock will be larger, more expensive, more difficult to assemble, and the shape and arrangement of other components will be restricted in design.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a dial lock that can switch between a freely settable dial function and a fixed dial function and has a simpler configuration than conventional ones. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a dial lock having a locked state, an unlocked state, a freely settable dial state in which an unlock code, which is a combination of dial codes that results in the unlocked state, can be freely set, and a fixed dial state in which the combination of unlock codes is fixed, the dial lock comprising a shaft portion supported on a housing and capable of reciprocating in an axial direction, one or more rotor portions rotatably supported on the shaft portion, and a plurality of disk-shaped dial portions rotatably supported on the shaft portion, which are engageable with the rotor portion and have dial codes on their circumferential surfaces, and in the unlocked state and freely settable dial state, the engagement with the rotor portion is released and the rotor portion can be rotated independently of the rotor portion. In other states, the lock is equipped with a dial section that engages with the rotor section and rotates together with the rotor section, a swing plate section that swings in the depth direction of the dial lock and engages with the dial section, an operation section that accepts a locking operation to set the lock state and an unlocking operation to set the unlock state, has a columnar drive shaft section with an axis extending in the depth direction of the dial lock, and rotates the latch, a switching section that works in conjunction with the axis section and the operation section and switches between a freely set dial state and a fixed dial state, and an arm section that works in conjunction with the swing plate section and drive shaft section, and comes into contact with the side of the drive shaft section to control the rotation of the drive shaft section.

[0007] The dial lock of the present invention includes a switching unit, which allows it to be switched between a freely settable dial state and a fixed dial state depending on the application and purpose. Furthermore, in the dial lock of the present invention, the arm unit contacts the side of the drive shaft unit and controls the rotation of the drive shaft unit without any other components. The arm unit also works in conjunction with a swing plate unit that engages with the dial unit. Therefore, the dial lock of the present invention can be switched between a freely settable dial state and a fixed dial state while having a simpler configuration than conventional locks.

[0008] The dial lock of the present invention can be used as a lock for locking storage cabinets such as cabinets, storage carts, and lockers, as well as doors. The locked state is a state in which the latch engages with the receiving part of the storage cabinet or door, and the unlocked state is a state in which the latch is disengaged from the receiving part of the storage cabinet or door. The locked and unlocked states can be switched using an operating unit, and the freely settable dial state and fixed dial state can be switched using a switching unit. The states of the dial lock of the present invention can be appropriately combined and include the unlocked state and freely settable dial state, the unlocked state and fixed dial state, the locked state and freely settable dial state, and the locked state and fixed dial state.

[0009] The shaft portion is reciprocatable in the axial direction. The axial direction is, for example, a direction parallel to the surface (design surface) of the housing. For example, if the housing is a vertically long rectangle when viewed from the front, the axial direction is the longitudinal direction of the housing. The shaft portion is reciprocatable between, for example, a forward position and a return position. The forward position is the position in the unlocked state and the free setting dial state. The return position is the position in any other state.

[0010] The rotor portion is rotatably supported by the shaft portion, and may be configured as one or more rotor portions.

[0011] The dial unit is rotatably supported on the shaft unit and rotates independently of the rotor unit in the unlocked state and the freely set dial state. As a result, the unlock code can be freely set. On the other hand, the dial unit engages with the rotor unit and rotates together in states other than the unlocked state and the freely set dial state. The dial unit can be configured with one or more dial units, and can be arranged according to the number of rotor units. The dial code can be composed of numbers from 0 to 9, for example, but is not limited to this. The code can also be other numbers, letters, etc., as long as it is identifiable. The unlock code can be set arbitrarily, in other words, can be changed during use.

[0012] The swing plate engages with the dial and swings in the depth direction of the dial lock. The depth direction is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, for example, from the surface (design surface) of the housing toward the bottom. The swing plate can be configured to have a cylindrical shaft that engages with the housing, and can swing around the cylindrical shaft.

[0013] The operating unit receives a locking operation to set the lock state and an unlocking operation to set the unlock state, and rotates the latch. The operating unit has a columnar drive shaft portion with an axis extending in the depth direction of the dial lock. The drive shaft portion is in contact with an arm portion and is linked to the swing plate portion via the arm portion. The operating unit may move the latch linearly in response to the locking operation and the unlocking operation. The latch may be one that moves in a rotating motion, but by making it one that moves in a linear motion, the dial lock can be used on storage cabinets and doors where it is difficult to install a latch that moves in a rotating motion. When the latch is moved in a linear motion, it can be configured, for example, as follows. For example, the operating unit may include a drive shaft unit supported by the housing and having an engaging protrusion that engages with the latch, a center cam unit connected to the drive shaft unit and pressing the tip of the crank main body unit, and a knob unit connected to the center cam unit, and the latch may be made of a straight plate member and may include a latch through groove cut out longitudinally from one short side and through which the drive shaft unit slides, and a latch support notch cut out near the through groove and on one long side and which supports the engaging protrusion of the drive shaft unit.

[0014] The switching unit is linked to the shaft unit and the operation unit, and switches between a free setting dial state and a fixed dial state.

[0015] The arm portion is linked to the swing plate portion and the drive shaft portion, and contacts the side surface of the drive shaft portion to control the rotation of the drive shaft portion.

[0016] In the dial lock according to the present invention, the arm may have a rotation control section that contacts the side of the drive shaft to control the rotation of the drive shaft, and a plate engagement section that engages with a part of the swing plate. This allows the arm to work in conjunction with the swing plate and the drive shaft to control the rotation of the drive shaft.

[0017] The dial lock according to the present invention may further include an arm spring having one end that engages with the arm and the other end that engages with the swing plate, and that pushes the arm in the depth direction. By including the arm spring, the arm can be pushed in the depth direction. When the arm is pushed in, the rotation control section of the arm contacts the drive shaft, thereby restricting the rotation of the drive shaft.

[0018] In addition, the dial lock of the present invention further comprises a search cylinder section into which a search key is inserted to search for the unlocking code, and a search section that controls the rotation of the rotor section to search for the unlocking code when the search key is inserted into the search cylinder section and the search state is entered, and the search cylinder section may be arranged alongside the operating section.

[0019] By further providing a search cylinder section and a search section, it becomes possible to search for the unlock code.

[0020] The lock device according to the present invention may further comprise an exchangeable cylinder lock, which is a cylinder lock connected to an operating unit and includes an inner cylinder having a keyhole and an outer cylinder to which the inner cylinder is attached, and which allows the inner cylinder to slide relative to the outer cylinder by inserting an exchangeable key into the keyhole, and which allows the inner cylinder to be removed from the outer cylinder. This makes it possible to replace the inner cylinder (cylinder) rotatably fitted into the outer cylinder.

[0021] The present invention may also be specified as a storage cabinet or door equipped with the above-described combination lock. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dial lock that can switch between a freely settable dial function and a fixed dial function and has a simpler configuration than conventional ones. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a combination lock according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a left side view of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a right side view of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view from above of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view from below of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a rear view of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the combination lock according to the embodiment with the front panel removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows an exploded perspective view of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a part of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view (underside) of the drive shaft of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the number change switch and number change plate of the dial lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the arm, swing plate, and drive shaft of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an arm and a swing plate of a combination lock according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the dial and the feel spring of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 15]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the inner wheel, dial, and swing plate of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the dial and inner wheel of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the inner wheel, dial, number search plate, and number change plate of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the inner wheel, dial, number search plate, number change plate, etc. of the combination lock according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 shows a partially exploded perspective view of the dial lock according to the embodiment as seen from the rear side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following content.

[0025] <Configuration> Figures 1 to 7 show external views of a combination dial lock according to an embodiment. Figures 8 and 9 are exploded perspective views, and Figures 10 to 19 show enlarged views of each part or enlarged views of a combination of parts. As indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 to 7, the front where dial 50 is exposed will be referred to as the "front," and the back will be referred to as the "rear."

[0026] Dial lock A (an example of a dial lock of the present invention) is composed of a housing 10, a front panel 20, a dial shaft 30, an inner wheel 40, a dial 50, a knob 60, a latch 70, a swing plate 80, a drive shaft 90, an arm 110, a number change switch 120, an arm spring SP1, a feeler spring 140, a number search plate 150, a number change plate 160, a cylinder 170, etc. (see Figure 8, etc.).

[0027] Dial lock A has a locked state, an unlocked state, a freely settable dial state in which the unlocking code, which is the combination of dial codes that results in the unlocked state, can be freely set, and a fixed dial state in which the unlocking code combination is fixed. The locked state is a state in which the latch 70 engages with the receiving device of the storage cabinet or door, and the unlocked state is a state in which the engagement between the latch 70 and the receiving device of the storage cabinet or door is released.

[0028] Housing 10 (an example of a housing of the present invention) has an open front and a rectangular box-like shape that is long in the vertical direction, and houses various parts inside (see FIG. 7, etc.). Housing 10 is composed of a vertically long rectangular rear wall 11, and a left wall 12, a right wall 13, a top wall 14, and a bottom wall 15 that rise from the four sides of rear wall 11. Housing 10 is also provided with notches, holes, irregularities, claws, fixing members, etc. for fixing the various parts housed therein and front panel 20.

[0029] The front panel 20 (an example of a cover according to the present invention) is connected to the housing 10 and covers the open portion of the housing 10, i.e., the front of the dial lock A. The front panel 20 has a dial window 21, a knob opening 22, and a cylinder opening 23. The dial window 21 displays the dial 50. The dial window 21 is a rectangular opening that is long in the left-right direction (horizontal direction), and four dial windows 21 are formed, corresponding to the number of dials 50. The knob opening 22 is for inserting the knob 60. The knob opening 22 is for inserting the cylinder 170. The cylinder opening 23 is adjacent to the knob opening 22 and is also for inserting the cylinder 170. The cylinder opening 23 is also for inserting the knob 60. The knob 60 may be assembled to the front panel 20, and the knob 60 and the front panel 20 may be integrally configured. The dial window 21 may also be a rectangular opening that is long in the up-down direction (vertical direction).

[0030] The knob 60 constitutes a part of the operating unit of the present invention, and rotates between a locked position (CLOSE) and an unlocked position (OPEN) to operate a latch 70 that engages with a receiving device (not shown). The knob 60 is composed of a disk-shaped main body and a protrusion that protrudes from the disk-shaped main body toward the front side.

[0031] The dial 50 (one example of a dial unit of the present invention) can be freely set to any unlock code. In the embodiment, four dials 50 are provided, but the number of dials can be one or more. The dial 50 is disk-shaped, and a number portion 51 on whose outer surface the unlock code numbers 0 to 9 are printed is formed (see FIG. 1 ). The dial 50 has a through-hole 52 in its center, through which the dial shaft 30 can be inserted. A dial gear portion 52a is formed on the inner periphery of the dial 50, which engages with gear-shaped concaves and convexes on the outer periphery of the inner wheel 40. In addition, a dial valley portion 53 is formed on the outer periphery of the dial 50 between the unlock codes. In the unlocked state and the freely set dial state, the dial 50 is disengaged from the inner wheel 40 and rotates independently of the inner wheel 40; in other states, the dial 50 engages with the inner wheel 40 and rotates together with the inner wheel 40.

[0032] When engaged with the dial 50, the inner wheel 40 (an example of a rotor portion of the present invention) rotates together with the dial 50. The engagement between the inner wheel 40 and the dial 50 can be released (see FIG. 9). In the embodiment, four inner wheels 40 are provided, but the number of inner wheels 40 can be one or more, the same as the number of dials 50. The inner wheel 40 has a small cylindrical portion 41 of the inner wheel that penetrates the dial 50 and a large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel that is connected to the small cylindrical portion 41 of the inner wheel and has a larger diameter than the small cylindrical portion 41 of the inner wheel. A search protrusion 41a for search is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip end side of the small cylindrical portion 41 of the inner wheel, which engages with the tip end portion 154 of the arm 153 of the number search plate during number search (see FIGS. 16, 17, etc.). In addition, a gear portion 44 of the inner wheel that engages with the gear portion 52a of the dial is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base end side of the small cylindrical portion 41 of the inner wheel. Additionally, a valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel, into which the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate (see FIG. 15) fits. The inner wheel 40 has an inner wheel through-hole 43 formed in the center, through which the dial shaft 30 can be inserted.

[0033] The dial shaft 30 (an example of a shaft portion of the present invention) is supported by the housing 10 and is movable back and forth in the axial direction (up and down) (see FIG. 9, etc.). The dial shaft 30 rotatably supports the dial 50 and the inner wheel 40. The dial shaft 30 has a rod-shaped shaft 31, a shaft cutout 32 provided at one end of the shaft 31 and fitted with a washer 39, and a left arm 33 and a right arm 34 branching off from the other end of the shaft 31. The tip of the left arm 33 engages with a U-shaped groove 166 in the license plate 160 (see FIGS. 9, 18, etc.). The tip of the right arm 34 is inserted into an opening 18 provided on the side of the housing 10, thereby maintaining the shaft's position (see FIG. 7). A hemispherical protrusion 35 is provided at the tip of the right arm 34, and a shaft spring (not shown) is installed between the hemispherical protrusion 35 and a spring guide provided on the housing 10. The dial shaft 30 is in a forward position in the unlocked state and free-setting dial state, and in a return position in the other states, i.e., locked state and free-setting dial state, locked state and fixed dial state, and unlocked state and fixed dial state.

[0034] The washer 39 engages with a notch 32 on the shaft provided at one end of the dial shaft 30 to prevent the inner wheel 40 and the dial 50 from coming off the dial shaft 30. The washer 39 also maintains the position of the dial shaft 30.

[0035] The latch 70 engages with a receiving device of a storage cabinet or a door. The latch 70 (an example of a latch of the present invention) is made of a rectangular plate, is connected to the drive shaft 90, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the knob 60. The latch 70 has a latch engagement hole 71 that engages with a cylindrical portion 92 of the drive shaft, and a latch folding portion 72 that bends forward. Note that the latch 70 may be flat and not have the latch folding portion 72. The latch 70 can be made into various shapes to suit the receiving device of the storage cabinet or door.

[0036] The swing plate 80 (an example of a swing plate portion of the present invention) swings in the depth direction of the dial lock A and engages with the inner wheel 40 (a part of the dial portion of the present invention) (see Figures 9, 13, 15, etc.). The swing plate 80 has a rectangular frame-like outer shape and is provided with through-holes 81 in which the inner wheel 40 and dial 50 fit. There are four through-holes 81 in the swing plate, corresponding to the number of inner wheels 40 and dials 50. A cylindrical shaft 82 that engages with a bearing portion of the housing 10 is provided on the right side of the swing plate 80. The swing plate 80 swings, or in other words, rotates back and forth, around the cylindrical shaft 82 (see Figure 15). When the knob 60 rotates to the "CLOSE" position and the number visible through the dial window 21 of the front panel 20 is distorted, the valley-shaped notch 42a in the inner wheel and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate 80 are disengaged. The mountain-shaped protrusions 82a of the swing plate 80 ride up onto the large cylindrical portion 42 from the valley-shaped cutouts 42a of the inner wheel 40, and when pressed into the large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel 40, the swing plate 80 is pressed in so as to swing (make a reciprocating rotational movement). The arm spring SP1 (an example of an arm spring portion of the present invention) that engages with the swing plate 80 is also pressed in together (see FIG. 13).

[0037] The drive shaft 90 constitutes a part of the operating unit of the present invention, is connected to the knob 60 and the latch 70, and rotates the latch 70 in response to operation of the knob 60 (see Figures 8, 10, etc.). The drive shaft 90 has an axis extending in the depth direction of the dial lock A. More specifically, the drive shaft 90 is columnar, with a rectangular column-shaped portion 91 at one end on the front side (toward the front panel 20) and a cylindrical portion 92 at the other end on the rear side (toward the rear wall 11 of the housing). The rectangular column-shaped portion 91 fits into a rectangular column hole (not shown) provided in the knob 60. The cylindrical portion 92 fits into a latch engagement hole 71 provided in the latch 70. A fan-shaped portion 93 protruding outward in a fan shape is provided near the center of the drive shaft 90, on the cylindrical portion 92 side. When the arm 110 is pushed in and the contact surface 111a (see FIG. 12) of the rotation control section provided on the arm 110 comes into contact with the contact surface 93a (see FIGS. 10 and 12) of the fan section 93, the rotation of the drive shaft 90 is restricted. On the opposite side of the fan section 93, there is provided a flat section 95, which is formed by cutting about one-third of the cylinder, and which comes into contact with the L-shaped section 167 of the number change plate provided on the main body 161 of the number change plate.

[0038] The arm 110 (an example of an arm unit of the present invention) is linked to the swing plate 80 and the drive shaft 90 and contacts the side surface of the drive shaft 90 to control the rotation of the drive shaft 90. More specifically, the arm 110 has a rectangular prism shape in cross section and includes a rotation control unit 111 that contacts the side surface of the drive shaft 90 to control the rotation of the drive shaft 90, and a plate engagement unit 112 that engages with a part of the swing plate 80 (see FIG. 12, etc.). The rotation control unit 111 is configured as a trapezoidal protrusion in cross section that protrudes from near the center of the lower surface (the drive shaft 90 side). The contact surface 111a of the rotation control unit that contacts the drive shaft 90 is configured as a slope. The plate engagement unit 112 is configured as a protrusion that protrudes from near the center of the right surface (the drive shaft 90 side). The plate engaging portion 112 has a bifurcated protruding hoof 113a provided on the front side (the front panel 20 side) that engages with the arm spring SP1, and a horn engaged portion 113b provided on the rear side (the rear wall 11 side of the housing) that engages with the horn 88 of the swing plate 80. The plate engaging portion 112 of the arm 110 engages so as to be sandwiched between the arm spring SP1 and the horn 88 of the swing plate 80. The front side of the arm 110 engages with the front panel 20, and the rear side engages with the housing 10, thereby maintaining its posture.

[0039] One end of the arm spring SP1 engages with the swing plate 80, and the other end engages with the hoof 113a of the plate engagement portion 112 of the arm 110, pushing the arm 110 backward (in the depth direction).

[0040] The number change switch 120 switches between a fixed dial state and a freely settable dial state (see Figures 6, 8, 11, etc.). The number change switch 120 has a number change switch main body 121 extending in the front-to-rear direction (depth direction) of the dial lock A, a number change switch operation unit 122 provided at the base end of the number change switch main body 121, and a plate control unit 123 provided at the tip end of the number change switch main body 121. The number change switch operation unit 122 is exposed from the back surface of the housing 10 and accepts rotational operation of the number change switch 120. The plate control unit 123 is semicircular in cross section and abuts against a table portion 165 of the number change plate 160 (see Figure 11).

[0041] The number change plate 160 comes into contact with, for example, the plate control unit 123 of the number change switch 120, which switches between a fixed dial state and a freely settable dial state. When pressed down, the inner wheel 40 slides downward together with the engaged dial shaft 30. As a result, the inner wheel 40 and the dial 50 fit together and rotate together. The number change plate 160 includes a plate-shaped number change plate main body 161 with notches cut out on the lower and depth sides to prevent interference with other components, a table portion 165 provided on one end (upper side) and depth side of the number change plate main body 161 and in contact with the plate control unit 123, a U-shaped groove 166 provided near the center and on the front side of the number change plate main body 161 and into which the left arm 33 of the dial shaft 30 is housed (engaged), and an L-shaped portion 167 provided on the other end of the number change plate main body 161 and bent into an L shape that comes into contact with the flat portion 95 of the drive shaft.

[0042] The number search plate 150 cooperates with other components to perform a number search when searching for a number (see Figures 9, 17, etc.). The number search plate 150 has a number search plate main body 151, number search plate arms 153, and a number search plate tip 154. The number search plate main body 151 extends vertically and supports the raised number search plate arms 153. There are four number search plate arms 153, matching the number of inner wheels 40, raised from the number search plate main body 151. The tip 154 ​​of the number search plate 150 consists of a protrusion provided at the tip of the number search plate arm 153, and engages with the search protrusion 41a used to search the inner wheel 40 when searching for a number (see Figures 16 and 17).

[0043] The feel springs 140 come into contact with the valleys 53 of the dial to generate a tactile sensation (click) when the dial 50 is turned (see FIG. 14, etc.). The feel springs 140 have a feel spring main body 141, feel spring arms 142, and feel spring claws 143. The feel spring main body 141 is linear and extends along the rear wall 11 and right wall 13 of the housing, supporting the feel spring arms 142. There are four feel spring arms 142, matching the number of dials 50, and they extend linearly from the feel spring main body 141. The feel spring claws 143 are protrusions provided at the tips of the feel spring arms 142, and are normally fitted into the valleys 53 of the dial.

[0044] Cylinder 170 (inner cylinder) has a keyhole into which a search key (not shown) is inserted and rotated when searching for a number. The tip of cylinder 170 fits into cylindrical guide 191 (see Figures 8 and 19) of roller 190 attached to the housing 10. Roller 190 has roller protrusion 192 on its side.

[0045] <Operation> Next, the operation of the dial lock A will be described with a supplementary explanation of the configuration. The operation will be described with regard to locking and unlocking in the fixed dial state, and locking and unlocking in the freely settable dial state, as well as number search. In this embodiment, the "unlocked state" refers to both the unlocked state of the internal mechanism and the unlocked state visible to the user; in other words, the state in which the dial 50 indicates an unlock number set by the user and the knob 60 is in the "OPEN" position. The dial lock A according to this embodiment allows the user to freely select between two specifications: a "fixed" state, in which a settable unlock number is always used, and a freely settable dial state, in which the unlock number can be changed each time the lock is locked, by switching the number change switch on the back of the lock between "fixed" and "freely settable dial" states.

[0046] <Locking in fixed dial state> In the fixed dial state, the unlock code, which is the combination of dial codes that sets the lock to the unlocked state, is fixed and used. In the unlocked state, the knob 60 is rotated clockwise from the "OPEN" position to the "CLOSE" position. When the knob 60 rotates, the drive shaft that engages with the knob 60 rotates together. A latch 70 is engaged with the drive shaft 90, and as the knob 60 rotates, the latch 70 rotates 90 degrees clockwise to lock the lock. Locking is completed when the user breaks the number (unlock code) that corresponds to a previously set arbitrary PIN number that is visible through the dial window 21 on the front panel 20. The operation of the internal mechanism will be explained below.

[0047] The number change plate 160 is engaged with the housing 10 so as to be slidable up and down. In the fixed dial state, the plate control unit 123 provided on the opposite side of the operation unit of the number change switch 120 abuts against the L-shaped portion 167 of the number change plate 160, constantly pushing the number change plate 160 downward (see FIG. 11 , etc.). The left arm 33 of the dial shaft 30 is housed (engaged) in a U-shaped groove 166 provided in the number change plate 160. Because the left arm 33 of the dial shaft 30 is engaged with the U-shaped groove 166 of the number change plate 160, the dial shaft 30 slides together with the number change plate 160 as it slides up and down. In the fixed dial state, the number change plate 160 is pressed down by the plate control unit 123 of the number change switch 120, and the engaged dial shaft 30 is also constantly pressed downward.

[0048] An inner wheel 40 is inserted onto the shaft 31 of the dial shaft 30. The inner wheel 40 is arranged to fit between a washer 39 fitted into a notch 32 at the end of the shaft 31 of the dial shaft 30 (see Figure 9, etc.). The washer 39 is engaged with a U-shaped guide in the housing 10, and serves to prevent lateral movement of the dial shaft 30 and to guide the dial shaft 30 when it slides. The inner wheel 40 slides together with the dial shaft 30.

[0049] The inner wheel gear portion 44 and the dial gear portion 52a can be repeatedly engaged and disengaged (see Figure 16, etc.). In the fixed dial state, the inner wheel 40 is always in a position where it has slid downward together with the dial shaft 30. In other words, the inner wheel gear portion 44 and the dial gear portion 52a are in an engaged state.

[0050] In the fixed dial state, the position of a preset arbitrary PIN number visible through the dial window 21 of the front panel is at a position where the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate engage. When the knob 60 is rotated to the "CLOSE" position and the number visible through the dial window 21 of the front panel is distorted, the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate are disengaged (see FIG. 15, etc.). The mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate rides from the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 onto the large cylindrical portion 42. As a result, the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate is pushed in the depth direction (downward in FIG. 15) by the large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel.

[0051] The swing plate 80 is capable of swinging (reciprocating rotational movement) around a cylindrical shaft 82. When the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate passes through the valley-shaped notch of the inner wheel and rides onto the cylindrical portion, and is pressed into the large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel, the swing plate 80 is pressed in so as to swing. As a result, the arm spring SP1 engaged with the swing plate 80 is also pressed in (see FIG. 13, etc.).

[0052] The arm spring SP1 engages with the swing plate 80 and the hoof 113a of the arm 110, and when the arm spring SP1 is pushed in the depth direction, the arm 110 also slides in the depth direction. When the arm 110 slides, the rotation control section 111 of the arm 110 abuts against the sector portion 93 of the drive shaft 90, restricting the rotation of the drive shaft 90 (see FIG. 12, etc.). More specifically, when the arm 110 slides in the depth direction, the rotation control section 111 of the arm 110 is displaced to a position where it abuts against the sector portion 93 of the drive shaft 90, and the contact surface 111a of the rotation control section abuts against the contact surface 93a of the sector portion 93. As a result, the rotation of the drive shaft 90 is restricted. This restriction restricts rotation in a single direction. In other words, the knob 60 is restricted from rotating from the "CLOSE" position to the "OPEN" position.

[0053] The drive shaft 90 is linked to the rotation of the knob 60, and when the knob 60 rotates, the latch 70 also rotates via the drive shaft 90. As described above, when the arm 110 slides in the depth direction, the contact surface 111a of the rotation control unit abuts against the abutment surface 93a of the fan portion 93, restricting the rotation of the drive shaft 90. As a result, the rotation of the knob 60 from the "CLOSE" position to the "OPEN" position is restricted.

[0054] To summarize the operations described above, in the unlocked state (when any PIN number is visible through the dial window 21 of the front panel 20), the knob 60 is rotated from the "OPEN" position to the "CLOSE" position. The dial 50, inner wheel 40, swing plate 80, and arm 110 work together, and the arm 110 restricts the rotation of the drive shaft 90, in other words, the rotation of the knob 60 and latch 70 from the "CLOSE" position to the "OPEN" position, completing the locking process.

[0055] In addition, when the dial lock A of this embodiment is in a fixed dial state and unlocked, it can also be locked by rotating the dial 50 with the knob 60 in the "OPEN" position, displaying a number that is not an arbitrary PIN number, and then rotating the knob to the "CLOSE" position.

[0056] In this case, when the dial 50 rotates and a number other than the arbitrary PIN number is displayed, the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate are misaligned, and the swing plate 80 is pushed in (see FIG. 15, etc.). The arm is pushed in by the arm spring SP1 that engages with the swing plate 80, and when the knob 60 is in the "OPEN" position, the rotation control section 111 of the arm 110 comes into contact with the fan section 93 provided on the drive shaft 90 so as to ride up (see FIG. 12, etc.).

[0057] Although the swing plate 80 is in a pushed-in state, the arm 110 is located on the sector portion 93 of the drive shaft 90, and a force is constantly applied in the pushing direction by the arm spring SP1. When the user rotates the knob 60 to the "CLOSE" position, the drive shaft 90 rotates so that the rotation control unit 111 slides on the sector portion 93. When the knob 60 reaches the "CLOSE" position, it becomes the edge of the sector portion 93, and the rotation control unit 111 of the arm 110, which is pushed in by the arm spring SP1, fits into it.

[0058] As described above, there are two ways to lock the door: the first pattern in which the knob 60 is first turned to the "CLOSE" position, then the dial 50 is turned, and a number other than an arbitrary PIN number is displayed to lock the door; and the second pattern in which the dial 50 is turned first, a number other than an arbitrary PIN number is displayed, and then the knob 60 is turned to the "CLOSE" position.

[0059] <Unlocking with fixed dial> Next, we will explain the operation from the locked state to the unlocked state. When the user enters an arbitrary PIN number as an unlock code in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20, the inner wheel 40, which is fitted with the dial 50, also rotates, and the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 fits into the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate.

[0060] The swing plate 80 is pushed by a swing plate spring (not shown) located behind the swing plate 80, and returns from the pushed-in position to the horizontal position. The swing plate spring (not shown) is held by a spring guide provided in the housing 10.

[0061] As the swing plate 80 returns to the horizontal position, the arm 110 is also lifted by the horn 88 of the swing plate 80, the restriction is released, and the arm 110 returns to the restriction-free position (see FIG. 12, etc.). As a result, the contact between the rotation control section 111 of the arm 110 and the fan section 93 of the drive shaft 90 is released, allowing the drive shaft 90 to rotate, that is, the knob 60 to rotate and the latch 70 to rotate. As a result, the user rotates the knob 60 to the "OPEN" position, completing the unlocking process.

[0062] <Locking in free setting dial state> In the free dial setting state, any number can be selected and used each time the lock is locked. For example, if "1234" is set as the PIN number, the number is displayed in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20, and the lock is activated by turning the knob 60 from the "OPEN" position to the "CLOSE" position and changing the number "1234" displayed in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20 to another number. The PIN number can be set (changed) each time the lock is used.

[0063] In the free setting dial state, the semi-cylindrical cutout portion of the plate control unit 123 of the number change switch 120 on the back is horizontal, and abuts against the L-shaped portion 165 of the number change plate 160. In the free setting dial state, unlike the fixed setting dial state, the number change plate 160 is positioned higher by the space created when the cylinder is cut out in roughly half.

[0064] The tip of the right arm 34 of the dial shaft 30, which engages with the number change plate 160, is inserted into an opening 18 provided in the side of the housing 10. By being inserted into this opening 18, the position of the dial shaft 30 is maintained (see FIG. 7, etc.). A shaft spring (not shown) is incorporated between a hemispherical protrusion provided at the tip of the right arm 34 of the dial shaft 30 and a spring guide provided on the housing 10. The force of this shaft spring positions the dial shaft 30 in an upward position. Although not shown in the figures, the number change plate 160 is provided with a spring, and is biased upward by the spring provided on the number change plate 160. The dial shaft 30 is positioned in an upward position due to the negative force of the spring provided on the number change plate 160 and the negative force of the shaft spring. In other words, the dial shaft 30 is in an upwardly pushed-up state. Because the number change plate 160 is engaged with the dial shaft 30, the force of this shaft spring is transmitted via the dial shaft 30, and the number change plate 160 is also positioned in an upward position.

[0065] In the free setting dial state, the inner wheel 40 is positioned upward together with the dial shaft 30. The movement of the dial 50 is restricted by the dial window 21 of the front panel 20 and the through-hole 81 of the swing plate 80. Therefore, there is no displacement of the position of the dial 50. In other words, compared to the fixed setting dial state, the position of the inner wheel 40 slides upward together with the dial shaft 30, the engagement between the displaced inner wheel 40 and the dial 50 is released, and the dial 50 rotates independently. As the dial 50 rotates independently, there is no misalignment between the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate.

[0066] When the user displays a desired PIN number, for example, "1234," in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20, the knob 60 is rotated to the "CLOSE" position. This rotates the drive shaft 90, which engages with the knob 60. The drive shaft 90 has a flat portion 95, approximately one-third of the cylinder cut away (see FIG. 11). The flat portion 95 abuts against an L-shaped portion 167 of the license plate 160 when unlocked. As the knob 60 rotates, the L-shaped portion 167 of the license plate 160 changes contact surface from the flat portion 95 of the drive shaft 90 to the side surface of the cylinder. The L-shaped portion 167 of the license plate 160 abuts against the side surface of the cylinder, i.e., the circumferential surface, and the license plate 160 is pushed down.

[0067] When the number change plate 160 is pushed down, the inner wheel 40 slides downward together with the engaged dial shaft 30. The inner wheel 40 and the dial 50 then fit together, rotating together with the inner wheel 40. In other words, the internal mechanism is in a fixed setting dial state. Next, the user changes the numbers "1234" displayed in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20 to another number (for example, "7890").

[0068] The operation thereafter is basically the same as in the fixed setting dial state, so a brief explanation will be given. The valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate are misaligned, and the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate passes through the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40, rides onto the large cylindrical portion 42, and is pushed into the large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel 40.

[0069] When pressed into the large cylindrical portion 42 of the inner wheel 40, the swing plate 80 is pressed in so as to swing. The arm spring SP1 that engages with the swing plate 80 is also pressed in. The arm 110 that is engaged so as to be sandwiched between the arm spring SP1 and the swing plate 80 also moves in conjunction with the movement, and the rotation control portion 111 of the arm 110 is positioned to abut against the sector portion 93 of the drive shaft 90, completing the locking operation.

[0070] <Unlocking with free setting dial> Next, the unlocking operation will be described. The unlocking operation will also be described in a simplified manner for similar operations. First, the user rotates the dial 50 from the number "7890," which is not an arbitrary PIN number, displayed in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20, to the arbitrary PIN number "1234." The inner wheel 40, which is fitted with the dial 50, also rotates, and the valley-shaped notch 42a of the inner wheel 40 fits into the mountain-shaped protrusion 82a of the swing plate.

[0071] The swing plate 80 is pushed by a swing plate spring (not shown) located on the back side of the swing plate 80, and returns from the pushed-in position to the horizontal position. The swing plate spring is held by a spring guide provided in the housing.

[0072] As the swing plate 80 returns to the horizontal position, the arm 110 is also lifted by the horn 88 of the swing plate 80 and returns to the unrestricted position. As a result, the contact between the rotation control section 111 of the arm 110 and the fan section 93 of the drive shaft 90 is released, allowing the drive shaft 90 to rotate, i.e., the knob 60 and the latch 70 to rotate. When the user rotates the knob 60 to the "OPEN" position, unlocking is completed.

[0073] The difference from the fixed setting dial state is that when the user rotates the knob 60 to the "OPEN" position, the position of the drive shaft 90 that abuts against the L-shaped portion 167 of the number change plate 160 changes from the cylindrical side surface of the drive shaft 90 to the flat portion 95 (see Figures 11 and 18). Due to the negative force of the shaft spring, the dial shaft 30, inner wheel 40, and number change plate 160 slide upward. The engagement between the inner wheel 40 and the dial 50 is released. The number can be freely changed each time it is used.

[0074] <Number search, inner cylinder replacement> The dial lock A according to this embodiment allows for the PIN to be retrieved and the inner cylinder to be replaced. Dedicated keys are used for PIN retrieval and inner cylinder replacement, respectively. The dial lock A according to this embodiment also has a separate structure for the knob 60 and the keyhole.

[0075] A special key is used to retrieve the PIN number, and the key can be inserted into the keyhole of the cylinder 170 and turned 90 degrees clockwise to retrieve the number. The cylinder 170 is cylindrical and fits inside a sleeve. The sleeve is also cylindrical, with its center slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylinder, allowing the cylinder 170 to rotate smoothly inside the sleeve. The sleeve has guide protrusions on its side that fit into guide grooves on the housing 10 to maintain its position.

[0076] A small cylindrical protrusion 175 is provided along the outer periphery of the cylinder on the end face opposite the key insertion opening of cylinder 170 (see Figure 19). This protrusion 175 fits into a cylindrical guide 191 (see Figures 8 and 19) of roller 190 attached to the housing 10. A roller protrusion 192 is provided on the side of roller 190, and when a key is inserted into the keyhole of cylinder 170 and turned 90 degrees to the right, this roller protrusion 192 abuts against number search plate abutment portion 151a (see Figures 9 and 17) provided on number search plate main body 151 of number search plate 150, causing number search plate 150 to slide downward. Number search plate 150 has number search plate arms 153 that rise up on the front side, the same number as the number of dials 50.

[0077] When the number search plate 150 slides downward, the arm 153 of the number search plate 150 also displaces downward. The arm 153 of the number search plate comes into contact with the search protrusion 41a provided on the inner wheel 40. When the user rotates the dial 50 to the right (counterclockwise), the search protrusion 41a of the inner wheel 40 comes into contact with the arm 153 of the number search plate 150. The number displayed in the dial window 21 of the front panel 20 at this contact position is the PIN number set by the user.

[0078] To replace the inner cylinder, a key specifically for replacing the inner cylinder is inserted into the keyhole of the cylinder 170 and turned 90 degrees to the left, which allows the inner cylinder to be replaced and the cylinder to be pulled out.

[0079] <Effects> The dial lock A according to the embodiment is equipped with a switching unit such as a number change switch 120, allowing it to be switched between a freely settable dial state and a fixed dial state depending on the application or purpose. In addition, in the dial lock A according to the embodiment, the arm 110 contacts the side of the drive shaft 90 without any other components and controls the rotation of the drive shaft 90. The arm 110 also works in conjunction with the swing plate 80 that engages with the dial 50. Therefore, the dial lock A according to the embodiment can be switched between a freely settable dial state and a fixed dial state while having a simpler configuration than conventional ones.

[0080] Furthermore, while conventional dial locks require a single-directional rotation for both number search and inner cylinder replacement, the dial lock A according to the present embodiment requires a right-handed rotation for number search and a left-handed rotation for inner cylinder replacement. Some conventional dial locks require the user to keep their hand in place after turning the key when searching for a number. The present dial lock lock is fixed after a 90-degree rotation, allowing for operation without using the hand. Therefore, compared to conventional dial locks that require both hands to operate the number search, the dial lock A according to the present embodiment can be operated with one hand, improving user convenience.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the dial lock according to the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the dial lock A according to the embodiment can be combined as much as possible.

[0082] In the dial lock A according to the embodiment, the latch 70 rotates, but the latch 70 may also slide. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] A···Dial lock 10. Housing 20. Surface plate 30···Dial shaft 40···Inner wheel 50···Dial 60···knob 70.. Cannuki 80···Swing Plate 80 90···Drive shaft 110···Arm 150···Number search plate 160···Number change plate 170 cylinder

Claims

1. A dial lock having a locked state, an unlocked state, a freely settable dial state in which an unlocking code, which is a combination of dial codes that results in the unlocked state, can be freely set, and a fixed dial state in which the combination of unlocking codes is fixed, a shaft portion supported by a housing and capable of reciprocating in an axial direction; one or more rotor units rotatably supported on a shaft unit; a plurality of disk-shaped dial parts that are rotatably supported on the shaft part, can be engaged with the rotor part, and have dial codes on their circumferential surfaces, and in the unlocked state and free-setting dial state, the dial parts are disengaged from the rotor part and rotate independently of the rotor part, and in other states, engage with the rotor part and rotate together with the rotor part; a swing plate portion that swings in the depth direction of the dial lock and engages with the dial portion; an operating unit that receives a locking operation to set the lock state and an unlocking operation to set the lock state, has a columnar drive shaft portion with an axis extending in the depth direction of the dial lock, and rotates the latch; a switching unit that is linked with the shaft unit and the operation unit and switches between a free setting dial state and a fixed dial state; A dial lock comprising a swing plate portion and an arm portion that is linked to the drive shaft portion and contacts the side of the drive shaft portion to control the rotation of the drive shaft portion.

2. The combination lock of claim 1, wherein the arm portion has a rotation control portion that contacts the side surface of the drive shaft portion to control the rotation of the drive shaft portion, and a plate engagement portion that engages with a part of the swing plate portion. In this way, the arm portion works in conjunction with the swing plate portion and the drive shaft portion to control the rotation of the drive shaft portion.

3. 2. The combination lock according to claim 1, further comprising an arm spring portion having one end engaged with the arm portion and the other end engaged with the swing plate portion, for pushing the arm portion in the depth direction.

4. The combination lock of claim 1 further comprises a search cylinder portion into which a search key is inserted to search for the unlocking code, and a search portion that controls the rotation of the rotor portion to search for the unlocking code when the search key is inserted into the search cylinder portion and the search state is entered, wherein the search cylinder portion is arranged alongside the operating portion.

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